Family
by Skye1963
Summary: Ten years ago, something happened that broke John Winchester and he left the hunting world. Now, Bobby Singer found John after hearing rumors about him. He finds that John has been given a gift. AU, Deathfic Rated for one bad word. Angst/Bobby, Hurting/John


_I don't know why, but this just wouldn't leave me alone until it was written. As usual I don't own the boys, John, Mary, or Bobby. The lucky man who does is Eric Kripke._

_Warning: Deathfic_

Family

It had been years since the incident that led John Winchester to give up hunting. Like his friends said, if anything happened to his boys, John would lose it and that definitely came true. After what happened, John left hunting and holed up in an isolated farmhouse. The only time he left it was to do some shopping or work but other than that he never left the property. It was rumored around the hunting community that he had put consecrated iron all around his place with permanent salt lines in the house but nobody really knew for sure since he didn't exactly tell anyone where he was. The incident had left him broken, from all accounts.

_Ten years ago-_

_Bobby scrubbed his hand across his tired eyes. For the tenth time, he had tried to call John but only got his voice mail. "Damn, that man should have his phone on just for this kind of emergency!" Bobby thought to himself. Bobby and Jim were both listed as Emergency Contacts for the boys after John explained that his job took him all over the place to the principals of their schools. Neither man liked the situation but they were both realists and knew that times were tough and you took jobs where and when you found them. When he got the call from Sam's school, he immediately called Jim and both men started out to get to the hospital as soon as possible. _

_When they got there, Jim showed the doctors the papers John had drawn up many years ago that gave them permission to deal with any illness or injury, even as far as surgery for the boys. He then got the information from the doctors and it wasn't good. Earlier that day, Dean had gone to Sam's school to pick him up like usual. When school let out, the kids streamed out of the doors and Dean went to meet his brother who was talking to a friend when the shots rang out. Kids ran screaming while some of them fell when bullets hit them. Dean stood in front of his little brother only to catch a bullet in the chest. When he fell, Sam was exposed and he got shot also. Both boys were in critical condition now. The doctors were able to get the bullets out but there had been extensive damage and massive bleeding. It wasn't expected that they would live. Sam had already had a couple of strokes while Dean's heart stopped a few times. Both boys were now in comas, the doctors reported._

_When Bobby got to the hospital, he found that the boys were in separate rooms. He bullied and harassed the hospital staff until the boys were put in one room. No matter what, he knew, they had to be in the same room…together. Jim and Bobby were aware that when one boy died, the other would follow within seconds. Neither could live without the other. That was just an accepted fact in their world and everyone knew it. When Jim got to the hospital, he started to make calls to their family after finding out the boys were not expected to live. Caleb, Josh, and Rufus were on their way but John still couldn't be contacted._

_It wasn't until a day later that John showed up. He had been hunting a demon, he said, and couldn't find his phone until that morning. He broke all the speed laws just to be at his sons' sides. When he saw them, he didn't do anything, couldn't say anything for the tears streaming down his face. Those were his precious boys, the ones he ultimately fought for. The last gifts that Mary had given to him were now laying in hospital beds with IVs, ventilators, and EKG machines hooked up to them. Jim led the shell-shocked father to a chair that was positioned between both beds and sat him down. Caleb, Rufus and Josh stood in the room with their own hearts being torn to bits as they watched Jim talk to John about unplugging their boys. Sam had been brain-dead for an hour with Dean following him a minute later. There was nothing the doctors could do for them, Jim said. Their souls were gone and only the empty shells were left. John asked to be left alone with his sons for a few minutes and the other men nodded then left. When they came back, John's face was dry but they could see that his heart was shattered as he signed the papers to allow the doctors to turn the machines off._

_Both boys were given a hunter's funeral with many of their friends and family attending. Nobody knew that John had cut some hair from both boys, carefully placing the locks in his wallet next to their pictures. He disappeared soon after that, only rumors of him surfaced but not the man himself._

Now-

Bobby was on a hunt in the area where John was rumored to have settled. He decided to look his friend up to see how he was doing. It was actually easier than he thought since John was listed in the phone book under his real name. Bobby shrugged then bought some beer and food before going out to the farmhouse.

When he got there, he found the rumors about the iron true. John had put up an iron fence around the property with a Devil's trap as part of the driveway design. As Bobby drove up to the house, he notices sprinklers going off at regular intervals, something that would cost John a lot of money since there was a drought going on. Bobby parked his truck and got out. Walking up to the door, he knocked then waited. It took a couple of minutes before the door was answered by _Dean!_ John came up behind his son and gently nudged him away from the door only to see Bobby's shocked face.

John smiled and said, "Hey Bobby! Come on in. Man, it's been way too long. What brings you out my way?"

"Johnny, what did you do?" Bobby asked in a horrified voice.

"What? Oh, you mean the boys?" Bobby nodded and John said with unshed tears in his voice, "I couldn't live without them, Bobby. I actually tried to kill myself after their funeral but they stopped me. They came back just so I wouldn't hurt myself. Sam and Dean also brought Mary with them so I could have my family back." John sniffed and wiped at his eyes. Then he cleared his throat and said, "Please come in. Mary would have my hide if you just stayed on the porch. I told her about you and she has been waiting to meet you for so many years." Bobby again nodded and, as John stood back, entered the house.

Bobby looked around and saw Sam sitting at a desk reading, Dean was watching t.v. and there was a smell of cooking coming from the kitchen. He also saw the pictures of the boys with locks of their hair in the frames. As he looked around, he saw that the rumors were also true about the salt lines. Around all the windows and doors were lines of salt that had been secured with liquid cement. There were also sigils carved in the walls for protection.

While he looked around, John called out, "Hey Mar, come out and meet my best friend." Mary Winchester came out of the kitchen and smiled. As she came over, she extended her hand.

"Thank you for keeping my family safe," she said softly. Then the boys got up and came over to give him hugs. Bobby was stunned. Usually ghosts became angry and vengeful to the point they needed to be salted and burned but these ghosts were not acting like their counterparts. They were friendly and happy to see him.

Bobby knew that the deaths of his family had left John broken but the man he saw in front of him was happy. He watched the man who he knew of as the consummate hunter interact with the family he needed to survive. John had been given a gift, Bobby knew, one that he envied. A chance to live with those he lost. As the day drew to a close and he had to leave, Bobby knew another thing…John's family would stay with him until the day he also died. Then the whole family would leave together, as one. It wasn't until he got to his motel room that he opened the envelope John put in his hand. In it was a picture of the Winchester Family with a few hairs from both boys, John, and Mary. Bobby's eyes grew misty as he realized what that meant. He, too, would not die alone but with family surrounding him. Contrary to everything he learned as hunter, Bobby knew that he would have a framed pictured on his wall with hairs in it, welcoming his family home. He would also give a copy of the picture with a hair from all of them to Jim so he could also do the same.

Three Years Later-

Bobby awoke to the smell of coffee and bacon in the air. Wondering what was going on, he put on his robe and went downstairs. Going into the kitchen, he saw Mary Winchester at the stove, cooking his breakfast while John sat at the table reading the paper. Sam and Dean were in the living room watching t.v. After getting his heart to beat normally, Bobby took the paper from John and read about a fire that had killed a man in the same town John had lived in. The fire was started by faulty wiring, the article said. Bobby looked up at the family that now became his and tears filled his eyes as he realized what happened. He knew that for the rest of his life, he would never be lonely again.

"Welcome home," he said as Mary thrust a cup of coffee in his hand. He smiled at her and she grinned back. Before he knew it, Bobby was surrounded by the Winchesters in a family hug. It was going to be a long day what with putting up the protections, salt lines and sigils to keep his family safe but, in Bobby's heart, it would be worth it.


End file.
